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Panaji: On Thursday, students and parents started queuing up nearly two hours before the counters at the directorate of technical education (DTE), Porvorim, could open to receive application forms for admissions to professional courses in the state.There was panic among students as around 1,500 of the 5,166 that appeared for Goa Common Entrance Test (GCET) turned up on the first day itself to submit their applications. Students rushed to submit their applications despite knowing that the counters will accept forms from May 18 to 26, except on Sunday.The DTE has introduced three separate forms this year – one each for those who have answered National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET), National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) and GCET. Some students, who have answered all three tests to see which seat they can bag, had to submit three different forms. This is expected to have caused the rush.DTE counters in Porvorim and its South Goa counter at Ravindra Bhavan, in Margao, had to also remain open for over two hours, beyond the normal working hours to cope up with the rush.
“Every year, students rush on the first day of submitting the applications. But this year the rush was more than usual. We received over 600 students at the North Goa counter and another 800 turned up at the South Goa one. This year, the rush was worse because those filling all three forms felt the processing time would be longer so it is better to turn up on the first day,” said a DTE official.
Students felt they would have sufficient time to correct any deficiencies found in their applications if they turned up on first day.”Generally students rush to submit their applications because they also feel the admissions will be on first-cum-frst-serve basis like at the school-level and like in the regular degree colleges. In case of professional degree seats, DTE first accepts the application forms and later a merit list is drawn up based on the students’ scores at the entrance test. Students don’t understand that the deadline is only to accept applications,” said an official. Students that have answered NATA for admissions to architecture degree course have to fill form B1.Those that have answered GCET for admissions to degree courses in engineering, pharmacy, nursing and allied health courses have to fill form B.And students that have answered NEET aspring for medicine, dentistry, homeopathy and ayurveda will have to submit form B2 Though NATA and NEET results have not been declared, students are required to submit their applications to DTE by May 26. [TOI]